schwartz



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

F. SCHWARTZ.

ELECTRIG CLOCK Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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(No Model.) 4 sheets-Sheet 3.

F. SCHWARTZ. y

ELBCTRIC GLOCK. No. 440.441. Patented Nov. 11,1890.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

F. SCHWARTZ. ELEGTRIG CLOOK.

No. 440.441. Pgtented Nov. 11,1890.

W/TNESSESJ /NVENTOH &Q/u wa( BY W '5' ATTO/?NEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK SCHXVARTZ, OF HALIFAX, CANADA.

ELECTRC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,441, dated November 11, 1890.

Application filed October 22, 1889.

Ta all whom it may concerns Be it known that I, FRANK SGHWARTZ, of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Mechanism for Actuating Clocks by Electricity, of which the following' is a full clear, and exact description.

In the usual method of constructingcloeks a train of gear-wheels is actuated by a coiled spring and an escapementwheel and pallets, whereby the pendulum of the clock is given an impulse near each terminal of its vibration, and thus is made to complete said vibration and produce a proper movement of the time-indicating device.

The length of the pendulum, together with the force applied to the gearing, are co-opcrating factors in the process of marking time correctly, as if the pendulum is of an improper length its time of vibration will be incorrect, and if the aetnating force which moves the gear-ing and gives im petus to the pendnlum is varable the movement of the pendulum will be correspondingly altered.

The fiat coiled springs, used as motors for ordinary clocksn ary in driving-force as they nncoil. Hence it is not possible to secure correct time -registration by a springdriven clock, and a fair approximation can only be attained by emploving a conparativel y long spring and rewinding it frequently.

One object of this invention is to provide a nechanism ntilizing electric force as a motor for clocks which will accurately regulate the impulse givenapendulun near the terminals of its vibratory are, rendering the latter uniform, and thus affording a correct time-measure if the lengthof the pendulu m is suitably adjusted.

A further object is to producea mechanism of simple construction driven by eleetric force, wherebya compact, cheap, and reliable time-marker will be aiforded, which will operate continuously without other attention than the oecasional renewal of fluids in battery-cells.

With these ends in View myinvention consists, essentially, in the provision of electro magnets of correct proportions, supported on each side of a pendulum to which laterallyprej ecting armatures are afiixed near its point of vibratory suspension, and that are carried Serial No. 327,8l8. (No model.)

by the movement of the pendulum within the field of force of the suecessiVely-energized magnets, and are attracted by them, said magnets being` adapted to be alternately thrown into eircuit with a local batteryby the Vibrations of the pendulum, and thns cause the pendulum to complete its predetermined are of vibration at each terminal thereof. This movement is directly communicated through pallet-limbs to an escapement-wheel that is in gear with the train of speed-reducing wheels which it aetnates, so that attached hands will indicate correct time on the usual 'face or dial of the clock.

My invention further consists in the construetion of parts and their combinations, as is hcreinaftcr described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the aceonpanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figur-e 1 is a front elevation, partly sectional, taken on the line l 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section taken on the broken line 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached sectional view of the escapementwhecl and pallet supported on an arber and engaging the escapement-wheel. The line of vertical section is represented at 3 3 in Fig. 2, an arrow indieating the direction of observation. Fig 4 is a plan view in section taken on the line 4; i in Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a diagramnatic ropresentation of the relative positions assnmed by different parts of electrieal mechanism that impart periodic impulses to the pendulun when the letter-named is swnng" 'to its extreme limit of vibratien on one side of the clock.

On the rear wall ot the clock-case A a bracket B is secured by screws inserted in integral lugs formed thereon at B'. Limbs B are eXtended from the bracket and form a part of itu These have transverse steel or iron bars 13 secnred to them by bolts B' said bars engaging the cores of the eleetro-magnets C at their upper ends in a secure manner, holding, the magnets in pairs' on opposite sides of the bracket B. The limbs a? are inclined upwardly, as shown in Fig. l, and thns retain the magnets C inclined outwardly from IOO a vertical plane taken through the center of the bracketa r 4 At a a rectangular metallic frame D is se curedby screws to adepending portion 13 of the 5 bracket B, which frame gives support to the gear-train of a clock, to which there is hour and minute hands a' a attached in the usual manner, said gearing being adapted to give these hands proper relative movements to etfect their office of indicating time-measure ment on a dial. (Not shown.)

At a suitable point on the escapement-arbor b an escapement-wheel E is Secured, preferably exterior to the france D. (See Fig. 2.) Said wheel E is cut and adjusted so that its teeth will project angularly in the direction shown, and thus bc adapted to have alternate engagement with the upwardly-rocked pallet cc' of the verge E', which is pivoted on a zo stud c that projects from the frame D. A

crutc'h-wire c is bent into a loop at 0 by which it is ioosely Secured to the rod F' of the pendulum F.

The piece B `of the bracket B is attached 2 5 there'to at d by sc'rews'or'other means,`and is bifurcated, produci'ng parallel linbs 'd', to

which there isa block F pivoted on adjustable cone-pointed screws d which penetrate the limbs. The position of the piece '13 and ;o connected block F is central between the pairs'of magnets C, and to the block named' the 'pendulum-rod F' is attached by its'upper end, a set-screw (1 eiecting the connection. By the connection 'of .parts, as described, the pendulum, consisting of the weight or bob F and 'rod F', is supported to vibrate on bearing-points 'midway between the coresC' of the m'agnets C. i

An armature-bar G is attached at its longi- 40 tudinal 'center to'the block F and lies in a plane which -is horizontal when the pendulum *is 'at 'rest or hangs Vertically. The length of the 'bar G is so proportioned that its free ends willproject below the cores 'C' of the 'magnets, "and on these ends the armatures G' are adjnstably held by the 'set-screws e, which have thre'aded engagement with the ends.

Upon the lower portion of the frane D, that supports the clock-gearing, a bracket-frane H issecured at f f. Saidframe has two Simi larly-formed arms H' -H' which extend from a connecting-web H that is Secured by screws g to the Vertical wall of the clock-case A. The arms H H' 'are separated thewidth of 5 5 the clock gear-frame D, (see Fig. 1,)-and upon each of 'them and the ears j, which are formed on the frame-web H directly below each 'arni H', two binding-posts are attached, 'which posts are insulated fron 'the arms H' and ea'rs I 6o j by a pair of flanged feri'ules of hard 'rubber, as shown at z' in Fig, 4, where an arm is broken away.

The'four binding-posts h 'h' h h (shown in v Fig. 1) are spaced *apart vertically `to aiford room for the contact-blocks k k' k k which' are clamped to the ears j and the arms 'H' H' by the same screws m that secure the 'posts just named thereto, said screws -axially penetrating the posts and engaging the contactblocks with their heads. The similarlyshaped contact-blocks k k' 75 15 are insulated from each other, as are the binding-posts, by the insulation mentioned, and each pair are separated between their jaws l a proper distance to aitord room for the sliding contact of the terminal ends of the adjustable liinbs 0 which are longitudinal extensions of the T-shaped switch-post 0, that is seated in the socket-piece p and adapted 'to rock therein and alternately engage with its limbs o the contact-blocks k k' k 10 they are lined withthat is to say, the faces of the limbs are in the same plane with the adjacent faces of the separated blocks-and wheneitherlimb is rocked sufficiently there will be a close contactes tablished betweena pair of the hithertoinsula'ted blocks, as shown in Fig. 5.

From the linibs 0 'out'wardly-projecting fingers n are 'extended, ofa proper length 'to lie in the path of the pendulum-rod F' when it is vibrating. The lower binding-'posts h' h are electrically connected by junctional wires q q", that are eXt'ended as one wire q to one :pole of a local battery. (Not shown.)

The nagnets of each pair previously men: tioned are joined toproduce'a continuous wire coil thereon, and one terminal 'of one set of magnets is extended as at sin Fig. 1,to eng-age a similar terminal 'wire s' on the other pair of magnets. These terninalsof nagnet-coils are oo fron'the same'ends of the magnets, 'so that electricity will flow in the same direction 't'oward the 'other terminals of said magnet coil. The joined wires s s' are extended asa main conductor 3 to be attached to the opposite 105 pole of the battery above mentioned. The remaining unattached terminals t t' of the magnets O are extended to be Secured to the opposite binding-posts h h the wire t of one set of magnets being crossed to the post h and I o the wire t' crossedin like manner and Secured in the post h It will be evident on inspection that when the pendulum hangs perpendicular at an equal distance from the fingers n the arma- 115 ture G' will be equally distant from the poles C' of the magnets.

.No current of electricity will flow through the magnet-coils until contact is-had between one of the pairs of contact-block'sthat canbe 120 established by the rocking of the switchpost o. u

'It is preferred that the p'endulum-rod F' be made of slightly yielding material to obviate, measurably, the shockof'contact of the blocks 76 k' 10 10 with the limbs 0 when inoperation.

The starting of the clock mechanismis 'effected by giving to the pendulum aninpetus which is sufficient to rock the switch-post o and cause o'ne of its linhs to make contact with the blocks it 'is opposite. This will complete the circit and energize the set of magnets opposite to those the pendulm is ap proaching The force of battery-current should be of such relative potential that the energized magnets will attract the armature bar as it comes within the field of their magnetic force and draw them upwardly, giving a sufi'icient impulse to the pendulum to overcome frictional resistance of the point of suspension of the pendulum, the friction of the machinery, and the force of gravitation. It should, however, permit a break of contact to be produced bythe weight of the pendulum, and to eect this the contact of the limbs 0 should be adjusted to alternately take place an instant in advance of the contact of the plates G' with the poles C', as represented in the diagram, Fig. 5, where one' limb o is in contact with the blocks 75 k' and the armature G' on the same side of the clock slightly separated from the pole C' of the magnet O. Thiswill demagnetizethemagnetsapproached by the armature-bar at a proper time to permit the pendulum to complete by its received magnetic impulse the arc of its vibration, and energize the other set of magnets, toward which the pendulum will now commence to move. The alternate switching of the current from side to side of the pendulum will, when once established, continue as long as the battery is in working order.

As the escapement-wheel E is mounted on the arbor b, which is in geared connection at b' with the train of speed-reducing gearing of the clock, it becomes a driver, and the oscillations of the pendulum actuating the latter moves the entire system of wheels and pinions, so as to properly measure the lapse of time by the hands a' a In order to assure a proper action of the escapement-wheel and its arbor, a detentwheel I is Secured on the latter, which wheel is provided with double the number of teeth that are in the escapement-wheel, and the spring-actuated pawl I', that engages each tooth of the detent at the ternination ofavibration of the pendulum in either direction of its travel, holds the parts from improper backlash, that would result from frictional contact of the pallets with the teeth of the wheel as well as the weight of the hands.

The pendulum is made adjustable for length by a set-screw F and also a set-nut F one at the top and the other below the weight F-which may be accurately adj usted by their manipulation. The fingers n may also be shifted on the switch-post o to increase or diminish their distance from the rod F', whereby their contact may be timed accurately with regard to the vibration of the pendulum and produce contact of the blocks k 7:/ ku? with the linbs o at exact periodic intervals, so as to cause a proper action conjunctively of all working parts and obtain a correct indication of time by the hands of the clock.

i Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a clock-case, clockgear-ing, a pendulum Suspended on bearings, an armature-bar which is aflixed centrally to the pendulum and projects oppositely therefrom, and armatures adj ustably secured to the ends of the armaturebar, of electro-magnets having one set of their coil-terminals leading to one pole of au electric-current generator, said magnets being located with their poles opposite the armatures on the armature-bar, contact-blocks that are connected with the other pole of the current-generator, adjacent mating contact-blocks which are connected by crossed wires to the remaining coil-terminals of magnets opposite to the blocks connected, and a rocking switch-post that is adapted to have its projecting fingers moved by the vibratingpendulumand,byengagementoflimbs on the switch-post, complete the electric circuit between opposite magnets alternately, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a clook-gearframe, a clock-gearing, its escapement wheel and ar bor, a spring-actuated detent-wheel placed on the arbor with the escapementwheel, a pendulum, and an armature-bar attached centrally upon the pendulum near the bearings of the pendulum and projectcd toward the poles of two electro-magnets, of two electro-magnets oppositely located with their poles adjacent to the armatures of the armature-bar and having one set of their coil-terminals joined and extended to one pole of an electric-current generator, contact-blocks located on each side of the pendulum which are electrically connected by crossed wires to opposite magnets, other contact-blocks which are connected to each other and to the opposite pole of the current-gemerato', a rocking switch-post having fingers which are pushed alternately by the vibrating pendulum-rod, and adjustable limbs which are adapted to make contact with adj acent contact-blocks alternately as the post is rocked by the pendulum, substantially as set forth.

FRANK SCHWARTZ.

Witnesses:

JOHN SHEDD, BICH. D. BROWN.

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